After the air temperature exceeded 40 degrees in many parts of Portugal, forest fires broke out at 14 different points. Across the country, 501 vehicles and approximately 1,700 firefighters participated in the firefighting efforts.
A huge forest fire that started in Ourem Municipality, north of the capital Lisbon, last week, flared up again due to strong winds after it was brought under control. Authorities stated that 300 people were evacuated from Freixianda Neighborhood. In the nearby municipality of Leiria, the flames spread to houses and caused 3 major highways to be closed on both directions. “We’re talking about complex situations, over a very wide area,” said civil defense official Andre Fernandes, warning that the situation could worsen over the next few days.